1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to abdominal compression belts to control hunger and, more particularly, to an abdominal compression belt having an air bladder with a pressure regulator and a powered massager.
2. Technical Background
Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. Fully two-thirds of U.S. adults are officially overweight, and about half of those are clinically obese. The total medical costs for illnesses related to obesity are $117 billion a year, and increasing. Eating too much high-calorie food and not exercising, trail only tobacco as a cause of preventable death. Unfortunately, humans are genetically predisposed to eat as much as they can. If food, especially sugar and fat, is abundant and inexpensive, people will overeat. A tremendous amount of research has been completed on the biochemical, neurological, and dietary factors related to nutrition and obesity. The more scientists learn about these factors, the more they marvel that anyone in our culture manages to avoid obesity or being overweight.
It is known that belts having a protuberance, placed around the waist with the protuberance pushing inward towards the stomach can reduce effective stomach capacity, reduce hunger and food intake, and help produce weight loss. The protuberance also passively produces a massaging effect on the stomach which is considered useful in reducing hunger. These belts have not been successful because they are uncomfortable and have no means for automatic adjustment to accommodate changes in body position that occur throughout the day. What is needed is a non-invasive weight reduction belt that automatically maintains a constant pressure against the stomach while providing an active massage of the stomach, and which can supplement other weight loss procedures such as gastric bypass, intragastric balloons, liposuction, and nutritional and pharmacological treatment.